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IT’S ‘BULL’ VS ‘BUFFS’ FINAL

04/02/2019 00:18:00 BY LWAZI DLAMINI

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Sports Editor

(At Somhlolo National Stadium)

LOBAMBA – It’s the unlikeliest cup final ever in the Ingwenyama Cup chequered four-year history!

As records tumbled like a deck of cards yesterday in-front of an impressive over 10 000 strong crowd, Mbabane Highlanders will cross swords with Ingwenyama Cup 2017 losing finalist, Young Buffaloes next month in a Cup final not even the best sangomas in the business would have predicted.

‘Inkunzemnyama’ brushed aside a listless Malanti Chiefs 2-0 in the first semi-final to reach their first Cup final of the Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (SMVAF) richly-sponsored tournament in its four-year glorious history. Then Young Buffaloes, still hurting like an unsealing gashing wound after losing controversially the February 5, 2017 final to Mbabane Swallows, finally got their sweet revenge as they pummelled the sickle-as-parrot ‘Birds’ 2-0 in astonishing fashion here yesterday.

Painful memories of the goal-line clearance by former Swallows Congolese midfielder, Papy Kapamba in the closing stages of the 2017 Cup final which screamed for the introduction of FIFA’s famed goal-line technology left Buffaloes players tearing their hair in frustration as the referee Mbongiseni Fakudze waved play on.

Yesterday, while the self-same Fakudze was the centre-referee the frustration of February 5, 2017 were replaced by bouts of ecstasy and merriment from the army side players and fans as celebrations that threatened to raise the dead at the nearby Mdzimba Mountain enveloped the iconic venue. The overjoyed fans of Swallows bitter-rivals, Highlanders, who had already penned their name in the final, loved every minute of it!

history

As far as records are concerned, the Highlanders versus Buffaloes Cup final will be the first meeting between the two sides in history and most remarkably, after three years since inception, the tournament’s Patron, His Majesty King Mswati III will certainly crown new champions of the richest tournament in the land on a date yet to be confirmed.

A princely first prize cheque of E1.3 million will be at stake while the losing finalist will take home E510 000.
Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga, Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development David ‘Cruiser’

Ngcamphalala were joined by Prince Masitsela, Prince Majaha, SMVAF Chief Executive Officer Helmon Vilakati, football head honcho, Adam ‘Bomber’ Mthethwa, Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Chairman, Peter ‘Touch’ Magagula, Sihlangu new mentor, Kostadin Papic in the Royal Box to be witnesses to a memorable day of football at the country’s soccer Mecca.

At the end of the day’s festivities, as if bowing to the impending coronation of a new Ingwenyama Cup Champion, the heavens opened up as incessant rain poured to the venue, taking away hopes of a big Mbabane derby final and giving birth to the unlikeliest Cup final in the tournament’s four-year chequered history.